Hey, it's Zach. Before we get started, just want to let you know that we mentioned some sensitive

issues in this episode. If you're listening with younger kids, you might want to review at first.

All right, on with the show.

When it comes to identifying criminals, today's police departments have all kinds of fancy tools at their disposal,

from high-definition security cameras to facial recognition software.

But when all else fails, investigators fall back on something much simpler, pen, paper, and the human eye.

They will only use you on the very worst cases when they throw their arms up and go,

oh no, what are we going to do? We got nothing. Then they call the artist.

That's Lois Gibson. She worked with the Houston Police Department for nearly 40 years as a

full-time forensic artist.

I'm someone you can talk to if you're all freaked out and you've seen a murder.

At some point, you've probably seen a police sketch in the news or on social media.

It's a drawing of a suspect based entirely on the memory of a witness.

You're drawing somebody you can't see, and you've got to be real strong.

If you go in with somebody that's had loved ones killed in front of them,

you've got to be able to take it.

I take the feelings of anger and sadness,

and I have it come out my hand in a drawing.

You can do a dumpy, crummy sketch if it catches the person it's perfect.

But just how reliable are those drawings?

As video footage becomes more common,

police departments have become more selective about using hand-drawn portraits.

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